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She didn't know how much time had passed, but Yuuki Asuna once again felt that familiar sensation, without any buffer, as if she had suddenly and completely woken up from her sleep.
She sat up from the sofa, took out her phone, and opened the app with the eye icon. A countdown timer showed fifteen minutes, and below the countdown was a description of the content of this instance.
The location for this instance is: the inn.
The time limit for this instance is twelve hours.
The objective of this "player" mission is to survive until the time limit expires.
[Public Notice for Dungeon: An extremely terrifying evil spirit lurks within the hotel. Please avoid direct confrontation with it if possible.]
[This is a special reminder because you received an A- or higher rating in the last dungeon run.]
[Special Note: Weapons made of ordinary materials cannot completely eliminate evil spirits.]
After reading the text in the app, Yuuki Asuna became a little nervous when she noticed the word "evil spirit". She looked up at Asagiri and saw that he was holding something that looked like a medical kit and was preparing something.
"The dungeon notification has appeared..."
"Ah."
Asagiri nodded, picked up the medical kit, and sat down next to Yuuki Asuna, comparing the information provided by the app on her phone with that of Yuuki Asuna.
"There are two differences."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki turned her gaze to the font on Asagiri's phone and indeed noticed two differences.
The public warning she received for the instance was: "An extremely terrifying evil spirit is lurking within the hotel. Please try to avoid direct confrontation with it."
The public message that Asagiri received for the instance was: "An extremely terrifying evil spirit is lurking inside the hotel. Please try to finish the battle quickly to avoid being overwhelmed by numbers."
The two individuals received different special instructions.
A special note about Asagiri:......
"Very valuable information can be obtained at the reception desk in the hotel lobby."
026 A girl in a long dress
"Are the dungeon hints and the special hints you receive different...?"
Asuna Yuuki murmured to herself, looking thoughtful.
"The difference in the dungeon prompts is probably due to the difference in our strength. In other words, according to the app, if I were to fight an evil spirit with my current strength, I would most likely not be able to win, while your strength is enough to eliminate a single evil spirit. Is that why it gave different prompts...? This app is quite user-friendly. As for special prompts..."
Just as Asuna Yuuki was speaking, Asagiri suddenly grabbed her fair feet. This unexpected attack startled Asuna Yuuki for a moment, and then her pretty face instantly turned bright red.
"Why...why did you suddenly grab my foot..."
"Wrap your muscles with tape and bandages."
Asagiri seemed to have switched from the daily abstract mode to the professional player mode, and instead of saying anything outrageous or strange, she spoke in a calm tone.
"Professional athletes use kinesiology tape and bandages to stabilize their ankles before a competition to reduce the risk of ankle sprains. Although the APP rules state that no type of protective gear is allowed, this should not be included."
"Oh, oh... I see..."
Asuna Yuuki raised her hand to smooth her long hair, watching Asagiri place her feet on her lap and then carefully wrap and bandage them with both hands. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she whispered apologetically.
"Sorry... I just thought... I thought you had some strange feelings for me, so I..."
"no need to say sorry."
Asagiri bluntly said, "If you say that I helped you with this preparation work out of pure lust, then you are wronging me. But if you say that I did it out of absolute rationality and without any lustful thoughts, then you are overestimating me."
"You...you bastard..."
Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki's ears turned red, and she bit her lip and whispered.
"Pervert...pervert...to have those kinds of thoughts while touching someone's feet...you're such a pervert..."
"Don't make false accusations."
Asagiri replied with a light laugh.
"It's not anyone else, it's you, Yuuki-kun, that makes me have some thoughts based on human nature, and the definite word is you."
Asuna Yuuki lowered her head, seemingly without any reaction, only giving a soft "hmm". In reality, she felt her cheeks burning and steam rising from her head.
A direct attack, terrifying indeed.
.............
[Player Utsunomiya Asagiri is preparing to enter the dungeon.]
[Countdown: 10, 9, 8... 1, 0]
At the moment the countdown reached zero, a thick, dark red fog appeared before Asagiri's eyes. When the fog dissipated, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar room that resembled a hotel suite.
Just as he predicted, measures such as wrapping the ankle with kinesiology tape and bandages to avoid sprains would not be forcibly removed upon entering the dungeon. This is reasonable, as the player's thoughtfulness in preparing for the dungeon is a reflection of their personal ability.
After confirming this, Asagiri began to look around. He saw that there were not only him and Yuuki Asuna in the room, but also three other people who seemed to be players as well.
One was a young man who was dressed in an expensive suit, tie, and slicked-back hair, and was quite handsome; the other was a young woman with heavy makeup standing very close to him, almost leaning against him.
From the young woman's actions, Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna could tell at a glance that the two must have known each other before entering the dungeon, and perhaps they were in a team relationship.
The last player's attire, however, seemed rather strange.
"That is..."
The player was quite petite, seemingly only about 1.5 meters tall. She was wearing a white dress with two white stockings, delicate little leather shoes, a white beret, and carrying a cane-like object.
The strangest thing is that the app clearly states that players cannot use anything from the real world and cannot disguise their appearance when entering the dungeon. However, the other person is wearing a gorgeous white half-face mask that covers the upper half of their face, like a masquerade ball mask.
A girl... she should be a girl, right?
Seeing that the players in the room were all watching her, the girl was not nervous at all. Instead, she gently lifted her skirt with one hand and made a very standard etiquette gesture. Her voice was soft and had a hint of a smile on it.
"Greetings, everyone."
The man in the suit sized up the girl, his brow furrowed.
"Hey, that mask you're wearing and that cane you're holding, are those pieces of equipment?"
The girl nodded without hesitation and replied with a smile.
"Yes."
"Hmph, you already had two pieces of equipment when you entered the second dungeon. It seems you got a good evaluation in the newbie dungeon as well."
Seeing that the young man in the suit only glanced at the girl's cane and mask before looking away, Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna could tell that this person did not know that after killing other players, as long as they could obtain the other player's phone, they could randomly draw a piece of the other player's equipment or item.
This is normal, after all, this is a hidden rule that Asagiri discovered in the newbie dungeon by killing a player who had cleared the dungeon and taking their phone.
There are definitely more than just Asagiri who kills people in the newbie dungeon, but there are probably very few players who can discover this hidden rule directly in the newbie dungeon. It is even possible that at this stage, only Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna know this hidden rule.
After all, to verify this hidden rule, the first condition is to obtain another player's phone, the second is that the player whose phone belongs has completed the game and been promoted from a novice player to a formal player, and the last condition is to kill the other player and open the app with the eye icon.
In the newbie dungeon, it's almost impossible to meet so many conditions, and most importantly, to have the desire to verify the hidden rules.
"Tch... a little girl, then two... they look like high school students..."
The man in the suit glanced at Asuna Yuuki and Asagiri, a haughty look appearing between his brows, before speaking in a deep voice.
"Let me be frank, for this dungeon, you must follow my orders. Do whatever I tell you to do, and I will lead you through it."
Upon hearing this, the masked girl in the Western-style dress spoke with a smile.
"Should we obey your orders? We're all players, why should we do this?"
"Hmph, isn't that simple? Because my abilities are the strongest."
The man in the suit crossed his arms and gave a cold snort.
"I forgot to tell you, I'm in the newbie dungeon..."
"But I received a high-level B+ rating to pass the level."
027 The Fated Trio
When Yuuki Asuna heard the B+ rating for clearing the game, she was genuinely shocked. However, what shocked her was that someone could be so confident with just a B+ rating.
She thought this way, but she didn't show it. After all, if she revealed a flaw, the other party might be able to guess that she had a higher completion rating in the newbie dungeon. Although players at this stage don't seem to know that they can get equipment or items by killing, it's always better to be cautious.
To Asuna Yuuki's surprise, Asagiri was instantly shocked after hearing the young man in the suit's words. Even his dark eyes trembled, and four words appeared on his handsome face.
incredible.
"Really?! B+?! No way, I actually met such a skilled player?"
Seeing the shocked look on Asagiri's face, Yuuki Asuna felt a deep respect for her.
What is a veteran actor?
This is a true veteran actor.
You, a newbie who achieved the highest S+ rating in the dungeon, are here marveling at a mere B+?
Asuna Yuuki already sensed that Asagiri was about to start fishing.
As expected, after hearing Asagiri's exclamation, the young man in the suit relaxed his brows, looking both proud and trying to appear calm and like a master.
"Hmph, with my brains, getting a mere B+ rating is nothing to be surprised about."
"I see. So powerful, so powerful it's frightening. No wonder you're a pro player."
Asagiri nodded in deep agreement, but before the man in the suit could even feel proud, he quickly changed the subject.
"Since you're so skilled, why don't you take your teammates and explore this hotel?"
The man in the suit was taken aback: "Huh? We're going to explore the hotel? What are you going to do then?"
"Of course, we'll just sit and wait."
Asagiri spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
"As the saying goes, 'Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them, and will first test their sinews and bones and subject them to hunger and thirst.' You like to show off, don't you? You're a pro player who has achieved a B+ clearance rating, aren't you? Then go and find the clues to clear the dungeon."
Upon hearing this, the man in the suit's originally arrogant expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
"No...we're all players, and you're only letting me and my teammates explore while you guys don't do anything? That's just too much..."
"Isn't that okay?"
Asagiri interrupted the man in the suit, her smile vanishing instantly.
"We're all players, what are you pretending for? You expect me to take your orders? Why should I indulge you? Am I your father? Huh?"
Upon hearing such blunt words, the man in the suit's face turned even uglier. He remained silent for a while before finally speaking.
"Then... let me put it another way, let's discuss together how to pass the level, and no one will order anyone around, is that okay?"
"If you had realized this earlier, wouldn't it have been better?"
Asagiri took two steps forward, reached out and patted the man in the suit on the shoulder, looking earnest and sighing slightly.
"Honestly, why did you have to come here to get flamed? But I'm not some morally bankrupt devil, there's no need to kill you directly, that would be too wasteful. Even if you die at the hands of evil spirits after you leave this room, your corpse might provide valuable information."
Although Yuuki Asuna appeared calm, she couldn't help but smile when she saw the unpleasant look on the man in the suit's face.
Why did you have to provoke him of all people? And you even gave me orders?
Do you even know anything about this guy...?
But even the terrifyingly ugly, blood-faced caregiver in the Giant Mountain Mental Hospital, whom most people wouldn't dare to look directly at, still dared to criticize him. And in the newbie dungeon, he was the ultimate demon king who led a player through the dungeon first, then killed the player to find out the hidden pattern.
...........
After being berated by Asagiri, the arrogant man in the suit was furious, but dared not speak out. After all, Asagiri was only a little over 1.8 meters tall and looked young, but he was not confident of winning in a real conflict. Moreover, this was a dungeon, and the man in the suit would not ignore the most important thing, clearing the dungeon, just for the sake of momentary pleasure.
However, after experiencing such an embarrassing incident, he did not intend to act with Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna, so he proposed the idea of exploring in groups.
He himself was, of course, paired with the heavily made-up woman, while Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna were definitely paired together.
The girl who entered the instance alone, dressed in a long dress, carrying a cane and a masquerade mask, took the initiative to suggest that she wanted to travel with Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna.
The exploration time is set at one hour. After one hour, we will return here to share and discuss the clues and information we have obtained.
After leaving the hotel suite and entering the hallway, Yuuki Asuna parted ways with the man in the suit and the heavily made-up woman. She bent one knee, reached out and gently stroked the carpet in the hallway. Based on the soft touch under her fingertips, she turned to Asagiri and gave her analysis.
"The carpet is pure wool, expensive, and difficult to clean, but it provides excellent sound insulation. It seems that the hotel we are staying in must be a very high-end type."
As she spoke, Asuna Yuuki was also observing the masked girl in the white dress, a hint of wariness creeping into her eyes. It was quite strange that the girl had offered to join her and Asagiri.